Suction cleaner



Sept. -7, 1943. s. R. CUMMINGS SUCTION CLEANER Original Filed May 24,1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wag/ 12. Cum/121759.? BY I 5' ATTORNEY Sept. 7,1943. s. R. CUMMINGS.

SUCTION CLEANER Original Fued May 24, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m T N E V mSidillflk Cummi/ys ATTO RNEY P 3- s. R. CUMMINGS Re. 22,370

SUCTION CLEANER Original Filed May 24, 19 54 a Sheets-Sheet :s

III

ffflflllrf/ Reissued Sept. 7, 1943 SUCTION CLEANER Stanley R. Cummings,Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, 'Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Original No. 2,095,466, dated October 12, 1937, Se-

rial No. 727,220, May 24, 1934. Application for reissue April 5, 1939,Serial No. 266,233

12 Claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general andparticularly to new and novel improvements in means to reduce the noiseof cleaner operation. More specifically the. invention comprises asuction cleaner in which no relative movement takes place between thecleaner exhaust outlet, the cleaner dust bag, the cleaner handle, and arigid muflier element.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improvedsuction cleaner. It is another object of the invention to provide asuction cleaner which operates with a minimum of noise. A still furtherobject is the provision of a suction cleaner having a muflier whichextends within the cleaner dust bag and which expands therein. It isanother object of the invention to provide a muliier in a suctioncleaner, the muiller being provided with an auxiliary outlet to permitheavy particles which will not travel the complete length of the mufllerto fall therethrough into the dust bag. These and other more specificobjects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims,and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings towhich they relate.

Referring now to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sideview of the suction cleaner constructed in accordancewith the present invention, certain parts being broken away;

Figure 2 is a partial side view of the cleaner with the bag and muilierunit removed therefrom;

Figure 3 is a front elevation certain parts being broken away, of thebody of the cleaner shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is the cross-section through the muffler element per se;

Figure 5 is a cross-section upon the line 5-5 Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a section through a second preferred embodiment of theinvention in which the muffier is attached permanently to the body ofthe suction cleaner;

Figure 7 illustrates the manner of removing the dust bag in theembodiment illustrated in Figure 6; 1

Figure 8 is a cross-section through a muiiller element constructed inaccordance with a third preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 9 is a bottom view of the element shown in Figure 8;.

Figure 10 is a section through the muiiier of Figure 8 upon the linelli-lfl;

Figure 11 is a section through the muiiier element of Figure 8 upon theline ll-ll.

Noise of operation is an important factor in cleaner operation. In thesuction cleaner construction in accordance with the present invention"means have been provided to reduce the noise created by the high speedpassage of cleaning air through the cleaner. These means comprise anelongated expanding mufller which is secured, either removably orpermanently, at the exhaust outlet of the cleaner and which extendswithin the cleaner dust bag. The use of this type of cleaner muiiier ismade possible by combining it with a new and novel cleaner constructionin which no relative movement takes place between the cleaner handle andthe cleaner dust bag, regardless of the angular position of the handle.i

Referring again to the drawings, and to Figures l to 5, inclusive, inparticular, a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed. Thecleaner nozzle l is mounted upon a frame which is supported by spacedpairs of front and rear wheels 2, 2 and 3, 3, respectively. The drivingmotor 4 is positioned with its axis parallel to the nozzle i, and itsshaft carries at one end a pulley 5, and at its opposite end asuction-creating fan 6. A power-transmitting belt I 'connects the pulley5 to a rotating agitator 8 within the nozzle I, while the fan 6 iseffective, in the operation of the cleaner, to create a reduced pressurein nozzle I through being directly connected thereto. The combinationmotor casing and fan chamber 9 carries the motor 4 and fan 6 and isitself rotatable about the motor axis through being provided with sealedbearings Ill and H at its opposite ends on the rearwardly extending sidechannels of the nozzle l. The exhaust outlet ll of the fan chamber isformed rigidly on the casing 9 and is provided at its end-with a flangeand bag-clamping means 13.

The handle of the cleaner is indicated by the reference character II andis rigidly connected to the casing 9, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Theincoming current leads l5 enter handle l4 near its upper-end and areconnected through a manually operable switch It before passing down thehandle to be connected to the motor 4 in any suitable manner.

The cleaner dust bag I l is provided with a ring I! at its lower endwhich is adapted to seat on the flanged outer end of the exhaust outletl2 and to be secured thereto in sealed relationship b the manuallyoperable bag-clamping means ii. The open upper end of the bag is foldedand held in a closed and sealed relationship by means of an enclosingU-shaped channel entire length .of the outer body 22. At the end of theexpanded muiiler 2|, which is clearly shown in Figure 4 to increase incross-sectional area from the ring N! to its outer end, is a collapsiblevalve 25, preferably of cloth or fabric. Valve functions, in theoperation of the Inachine, to prevent, by collapsing to close the end ofthe muilier, the return into the mufller of foreign matter by an aircurrent set up by the ba back pressure when the suction-creating meansor fan has ceased to rotate at the end of a cleaning operatic x Theoperation of the cleaner constructed in accordance with the 'presentinvention is easily understood. With the machine positioned upon thesurface covering which is to be cleaned, the closing of the switch l6by'th operator causes the motor 4 to rotate pulley 5 andthesuctioncreating fan 5. Pulley 5 transmits its rotating torquethrough'the belt I to the agitator 8 within the nozzle, and thesuction-creating fan '6 withdraws air from the nozzle and exhausts itthrough the exhaust outlet l2 into the muffler 2| through which itpasses into the bag H where the suspended foreign matter is removed, theair filtering back into the surrounding atmosphere. Because the muiller2| is lined with a soundabsorbing material and because it expands incross-sectional area gradually from the mouth of the exhaustoutletproper I2 to its own end, the muiller serves to reduce thenoise-creating vibration in the air exhausted from the cleaner. Becausethe handle, the exhaust outlet, the ba and the motor casing pivot as aunit about the axis of the motor 4, no relative movement takes placetherebetween. This relationship is essential as rigid muiller 2| must berelatively long in order to be efllcient and if the cleaner were of theusual type in which'handle l4 pivots relative to the body of the machineand the bag l'l bends about its point of attachment to the cleaner bodyas the handle pivots, it would not be feasible to use the elongatedmuiller element.

Upon the use of the machine for a reasonable length of time, it becomesnecessary. for the bag IT to be cleaned and the foreign matter removedtherefrom. To accomplish this operation it is necessary only to removemanually the bag ring |8' from the securingmeans l3, l3 and to detachthe upper end of the bag from the supporting channel IS. The bag at itsupper end can then be pulled'down over the mufller into a reversedrelationship in which the interior of the bag is exposed and the"foreign matter can then be removed.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7, a second preferred embodiment of theinvention is disclosed. In this embodiment the mufller is indicated bythe reference character 26 and is secured integrally to the exhaustoutlet l2 of the cleaner by means of rivets 21, 21." The mufller againcomprises an outer casing of metal 28 and an inner sleeve of,sound-deadening material 29, the casing, as in the first embodiment,increasing in cross-sectional area from the exhaust outlet near the basethereof.

/ liner.

proper l2 to its end. At its upper end the muffler is provided with aseat 30 which is adapted to receive and seat an.encl0sing bag ring 3|through a bayonet pin and groove relationship. The dust bag 32 is opento the interior of the muiller through the bag ring 3| and a bag valve33 of the flexible fabric type is carried by and is removable with thering. According to the present embodiment the bag 32 telescopesdownwardly and encloses the mufller 25 being provided with a secondlower bag ring 34 at-a point adjacent the outer end of the exhaustoutlet I2. Bag-ring-receiving-means including a flange 35 and manuallyoperable clamping nuts 35 are provided at that point on the cleanercasing and serve to seat and lock the rin 34 in place. This constructionhas the advantage that the bag may be removed without removing themufller 'by disconnecting the two bag rings 34 and 3|. The

upper end of the bag is supported from the cleaner handle as in thefirst embodiment.

Referring now to Figures 8 to 11, inclusive, a third preferredembodiment of the invention is disclosed. According to this embodimentof the invention the muiller comprises an outer metallic sleeve which isagain fixedly Secured by rivets 39, 39 to a bag ring 40. The dust bag,which is indicated by the reference character 4|, encloses the inufllerand is also secured to the bag ring 40. As in the previous embodiments,an inner lining 42 of sound-deadening material is provided with extendsthe entire length of the mufller which is again of the expanding type.Also, as in the previous embodiments, a flexible fabric valve 43 toprevent movement of air in the wrong direction in th muffler is providedat the end thereof. In the present embodiment of the invention, however,an escape leak opening 44 is provided inthe underside of the mufflerThis opening extends through both the outer metallic casing and theTransver'sely extending across this opening 44 are upwardly slopingdeflectors or baffles 45, 45 which are spaced as clearly illustrated inFigure 8 and which aid in preventing incom- In the operation of acleaner embodying this last embodiment of the invention the mufllerfunctions, as in the previous embodiments, to reduce the noise createdby the high velocity air flow. The m'ufller is often positioned at aconsiderable angle to the vertical, as indicated in Figures 6 and 7showing the second embodiment, and at such times heavy particles offoreign matter may fail'to reach the top o1 the muiller to enter the bagproper and instead return to the interior of the machine itself. In themufller constructed in accordance with the present invention, theseheavy particles rolling down the bottom of the mufller fall through theopening 44, or are deflected therethrough by the deflectors 45, 45, andinto the pocket 45. These particles then fall from the open end of thepocket into the lower end of the dust bag.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle, rotary suction-creating meansconnected to said nozzle and movable with respect thereto about its axisof rotation, a dust bag connected to the exhaust of saidsuction-creating means, an elongated expanding muffler connecteddirectly to the exhaust of said suction-creating means and open at itsexpanded end to said dust bag, and a handle connected to saidsuction-creating means and supporting said dust bag, saidsuction-creating means, said bag and mufiler, and said handle pivotingas a unit relative to said nozzle.

2. In a suction cleaner including suction-creating means, an elongatedmetal tube connected to the exhaust of said means, said tube expandingin cross sectional area from said exhaust to the opposite end, and alining of sound-absorbing material in said tube, said tube and saidlining functioning as a mufiler to reduce vibration in cleaning airexhausted thereinto by said suction-creating means.

3. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle, suction-creating means connected tosaid nozzle, a handle, a dust bag, an elongated mufller positioned insaid bag and connected to the exhaust of said means, said mufiler havingan escape opening near its lower end permitting particles of foreignmaterial to drop from said mufller into said bag, said handle, mufilerand bag being pivotally mounted to move asa unit relative to saidnozzle.

4. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a dust bag, anexpanding air-conveying conduit including vibration absorbing meansconnected to the exhaust outlet of said suction-creating means to conveyair into said dust bag.

5. Ina suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a dust bag removablyconnected to said means, and an air-conveying conduit includingvibration-absorbing means positioned in said bag to conduct air fromsaid exhaust into said bag, said conduit increasing in cross-sectionalarea from said exhaust.

6. In a suction cleaner, a body including suction-creating means, anair-conveying tube rigidly attached to said means and expanding incrosssectional area from said means, a dust bag removably secured to theouter end of said tube and adapted to receive air exhausted therefrom,said bag telescopically enclosing said tube and being removably securedto said body adjacent the inner end of said tube.

'7. The construction recited in the preceding claim in which said tubeincludes sound-absorbing material.

8. The construction recited in the second preceding claim in which saidbag is secured to said body by a ring of diameter larger than thediameter of the outer end of said tube to permit its displacementthereover.

9. In a'suction cleaner mufiler, an elongated expanding metallic tubeforming a passageway for air exhausted from a cleaner, a sound-deadeninglining of sponge rubber inside said tube exposed directly to a flow ofair therethrough.

10. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle, rotary suction-creating meansconnected to said nozzle and removable with respect thereto about itsaxis of rotation, a dust bag connected to the exhaust of saidsuction-creating means, an elongated expanding tube connected directlyto' the exhaust of said suction-creating means and open at its expandedend to said dust bag, and a handle connected to said suction-creatingmeans and supporting said dust bag, said suction-creating means, saidbag and tube, and said handle pivoting as a unit relative to saidnozzle.

11. In a suction cleaner, the combination of suction-creating meanshaving an exhaust outlet, a=tubular member forming a sound-reducingextension of said outlet and having an escape opening adjacent saidoutlet and adapted to permit the passage of particles of foreignmaterial therethrough, and a dirt bag enclosing said tubular member andcommunicating with said outlet through the open end and said escapeopening of said tubular member.

12. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, an air passagewayconnected to said suction-creating means including a mufiler elementformed with an exhaust opening at its end and with an escape openingintermediate its ends, and a dirt-filtering member to receive air fromsaid suction-creating means enclosing said muflier and interiorly openthereto through said exhaust and escape openings.

STANLEY R. CUMMINGS.

